Chapter 5
The wild adventure at the Briar house, the initiation ceremony, the interrogation-the embarrassing questions, the ordeal of stripping off her clothing in front of an entire group-all seemed mild and pale in comparison with what had just followed in Ursula Pavio's car. The episode with Ursula had left Melanie completely unnerved and yet curiously alive. Her body was exhausted from the long and eventful night, but at the same time sleep was impossible. Not even a hot shower followed by a cold one had succeeded in ridding her of the disturbing tingle of physical awareness.
The dormitory was quiet. The chimes in the chapel steeple were just sounding the hour of curfew and most of the school lights were being extinguished. Melanie lay on her back in her bed, the sheet drawn up to her chin, staring through the darkness at the door of her room, wondering how Kate Cartwright could ignore dormitory regulations without getting into trouble.
Melanie resigned herself to the prospect of a few sleepless hours. At least she had accomplished her mission. That was the important thing. That made her feel good. But her mind kept racing back to the scene in the car with Ursula and it only added to her restless, jangled state. She could still feel Ursula's lips on her breasts and the memory of them and the pleasure they evoked made her squirm in the warmth of her bed. She rolled over on her side, hugging her pillow and tried to concentrate on having become a member of The Witchwags. She speculated on the many advantages of being a part of society's inner circle. She considered the freedom and many privileges it afforded girls her own age and then the image of the beautiful Ursula Pavio seated behind the wheel of her sleek Ferrari returned to her.
Ursula again. She could not get the girl out of her thoughts. Was it possible that a girl, whoever she might be, might want to do the same things Ursula tried to do? Was it possible that all of the girls in the club kissed and fondled one another that way? Was that what Ursula meant when she said welcome to the club?
Melanie shivered uncontrollably, unable to deny or to understand the element of excitement contained in the incredible possibility. Even if such a thing was true, why should she be so vulnerable to it? No, she thought firmly, trying to get a grip on herself, it couldn't be. It just wasn't possible. The girls in the club were too clever, too sophisticated, too well-bred and too popular to be ... well, anything but what they seemed to be. And yet what was sophistication? And what did being well-bred have to do with it?
Melanie's troubled and inconclusive reverie came to an abrupt end when she heard the door open and Kate Cartwright slipped into the room.
"Melanie? Are you awake?"
Assuming the motionless pose of sleep, her eyes open but veiled by her lashes, Melanie ignored the whisper. Kate waited a moment and then shrugged, her fingers moving to the zipper of her skirt. Melanie watched the rosy cheeked Kate undress carelessly as she swayed unsteadily, dropping her clothes lazily on the floor. A vague stirring made itself felt deep within as Melanie watched through the narrow slits of her eyes her roommate's soft white shoulders and plumply full breasts being exposed. Even in the poor light of the room, Kate's breasts glowed invitingly and Melanie stared helplessly at the chubby roundness and the tiny pink dots. The dryness in her throat increased as Kate stepped out of her half-slip to reveal her shapely hips and smoothly rounded thighs, provocatively contrasted by a pair of tight black lace panties. The swells and hollows of the girl's gleaming body refused to permit Melanie's secret gaze to break away and all at once, she knew that if Kate spoke again, she'd no longer pretend to be asleep.
Kate left the panties on as she paused to light a cigarette and blow the smoke out in a cloud. She sighed as she sat down on the edge of her bed. Melanie lay still, unable to take her eyes away from the fleshy gloves that glistened so alluringly in the dim light, her mind recalling Ursula's queries regarding her relationship with Kate. Suddenly, the vague questions took on new meaning and Melanie felt herself trembling with nervousness as she studied her cute roommate seated on the bed across the room.
Kate yawned and rumpled her brown curls as she extinguished the cigarette in a tray beside her bed. Then, stretching out her arms, she peered through the shadows at Melanie. A small speculative frown took shape before becoming an impish grin. Kate rose from her bed and tiptoed across the space that separated their beds and Melanie tensed in excited anticipation. Her roommate leaned down and Melanie could smell the liquor on her breath.
"Melanie? Melanie, wake up. I got something to tell you."
Melanie's eyes popped open wide as Kate's fingers touched her bare arm and then her cheek. "Oh, it's you, Kate," she murmured in an effort to sound drowsy.
Kate sat down beside her, causing the mattress to sink and Melanie's body to roll slightly toward the seated girl. "I just wanted to congratulate you," Kate whispered. "Ursula told us all about it. She gave us all a full report. It must have been hysterical."
Melanie inched her hip away from the warmth of Kate's thigh. "It was," she said softly, faking a yawn.
Kate giggled childishly. "Did you really have to fight off Mrs. Briar's husband?"
"Almost. The old boy didn't look like he could be trusted."
"Oh, I wish I had been there. That's wild." Melanie cleared her throat and shifted her position, feeling intimidated by the nearness of the adorable breasts and the scantiness of Kate's black panties. "I guess getting caught killed the whole deal, huh? I mean he would naturally check everything and straighten the place up before Mrs. Briar and the faculty arrived at the house."
"Oh, no. Let me tell you. Several of the girls were there watching the house-hiding a short distance away. They saw the lights go on upstairs in Mrs. Briar's room, so he might have had time to straighten up the bedroom. We're not sure. But seconds after you and Ursula drove away, Mrs. Briar and the faculty members arrived. The old boy wouldn't have had time to get dressed, to go downstairs and gather up the pictures and the books from the study."
"Oh, dear, I wonder what happened," Melanie said with concern.
"Wouldn't you have loved to see Mrs. Briar's expression?" Kate giggled. "Whatever happened, the faculty didn't stay to have cake and coffee."
"I just hope I don't run into Mr. Briar or that he doesn't try to describe me to his wife. I'm the only girl at Turbenthal with red hair."
"He won't and there's little chance of you running into him again. He never comes over to the school. Mrs. Briar won't let him, we're told. Anyhow, Melanie, you passed the test. You're now one of us. You are a full fl-edged member of The Witchwags-with junior standing, of course."
"What does that mean?"
"It means you're a wagger for the first year, like me. After a year, you become a wag. Sheila and Ursula are the only two wags in the club this year. A lot of the girls from last year didn't return to Turbenthal."
"I see," Melanie said as another thought concerning Ursula penetrated her mind. She glanced covertly at Kate. "What else did Ursula tell you about ... about tonight?"
"What do you mean?"
"Did she say anything ... I mean anything special about me."
A sly wariness crept into Kate's child-like eyes and Melanie knew instantly that she'd exposed herself. Kate's lips formed a pout before speaking and it was clear that she was excited about the subject that Melanie had so awkwardly introduced. "Oh, she raved on and on about you. Why? Did Ursula try anything with you?" Kate asked eagerly.
Melanie squirmed uneasily. "Try anything?"
"Yeah, did she try to make out with you?"
"Kate!"
Her roommate grimaced impatiently. "Oh, come on, Melanie, don't act so innocent. There are no secrets in The Witchwags. Now that you're a member, you can be honest with me. Everybody knows that Ursula is gay and if she didn't try to seduce you ... well, it would be the very first time."
"I'm not sure I understand, Kate. How could she seduce me?"
Kate blew out her breath in annoyance, her disbelief obvious. "Ursula Pavio is a real gay girl. She's butch ... a dyke ... a lesbian, like in the story of Sappho and her followers in Lesbos. Don't tell me you haven't read about that?" Kate's voice softened and her eyes regained the earlier slyness. "All of us fool around with one another from time to time but we're not really gay. We do it for kicks, because there's a shortage of boys. There's nothing wrong with it as long as you can take it or leave it alone." Kate's fingertips trailed over Melanie's shoulder in a timid and hesitant caress. "It's kind of fun."
Melanie felt feverish. She was beginning to tremble and nothing she could do seemed to lessen the nervous fluttering of her stomach. She could hear her heart pounding and the restless fire that Ursula Pavio had ignited was once again burning brightly. Afraid to move, afraid to speak, she stared up at the naked breasts and the cute nipples in helpless surrender.
"Didn't you ever have a special girl friend back home?" Kate asked softly. "You know, someone you liked a lot, someone you could talk to and be close to every so often, like you'd stay over night at her house one week end when the family was away and then she'd come over and stay with you the next time."
"No. I didn't have a friend like that. My family never left me alone."
Kate folded the top sheet down to Melanie's waist and then returned her fingers to the buttons of the pajamas. "This past month, ever since school started and we were assigned as roomies, well, I've been dying to be close to you this way. I kept hoping for some sign, some hint that you might want to be close to me, too. Just let me show you how nice it can be...." Kate opened the top two buttons of the pajama jacket and gently spread the top apart, exposing Melanie's high-peaked breasts. "It doesn't have to mean anything," Kate continued, her voice strained, her face flushed. "That's the best part of it. I mean, it's different than going to bed with a boy. It isn't nearly as serious or important. Please, Melanie, let me show you. You can stop whenever you want."
Melanie croaked the words weakly. "You won't tell the others?"
"I promise."
Melanie caught her breath as Kate's fingers began to stroke her breasts lightly, "All right," she whispered, her lashes becoming heavy with languor as the caresses lulled her into a euphoria of contentment. "Just this once...."
Kate's smile was as eager as her hands and she hurried to rid the .obstacle of the top sheet. She rose up on her knees beside Melanie and plucked anxiously at the pajamas. "Lift up a little."
Melanie obeyed, her heart racing, her flesh quivering. She felt the pajamas being stripped from her body and when her nakedness was complete, she heard Kate's low sigh of admiration. There was another movement and when she turned her head, she saw her roommate wiggling out of her black lace panties. All at once it was hard to breathe and Melanie shuddered as she stared at Kate's smooth plump nakedness.
"Move over a little," Kate whispered, sliding down on the bed.
Melanie tensed as their bodies made contact and the sensation was a strange and wonderful one. Kate's small chubby hands began to roam freely and even as they did, the moist red lips wandered all over Melanie's body.
"You're beautiful," Kate mumbled, her face lost in the valley of yielding flesh, her hands boldly stroking Melanie's tensing buttocks. "I really mean it, Melanie. You're one of the best looking girls I've ever known. Oh, you feel so wonderful. I could love you to death."
Melanie allowed the dizziness to cloud her awareness of what was happening and permitted her body to respond by sheer instinct. The warm pleasure rolled over her in rhythmic waves as Kate continued to explore her femininity with soft kisses and childishly curious caresses. Melanie was struck by how much easier it was to accept them from the avid Kate than it had been when she'd been taken by surprise in Ursula's car. Being naked and in bed was probably part of it, she thought foggily, but the real difference was that she felt safer with Kate than she'd felt with the masterful and excitingly demanding Ursula.
She felt Kate tugging at her hand and heard the girl panting heatedly. "Touch me, too," Kate whispered urgently, guiding Melanie's hand. "like this."
Melanie hesitated, embarrassed, and then complied with awkward shyness. It was as if her hands belonged to someone else once the initial contact was made. Kate moaned aloud and her excited response was manifest in the fierce kiss she administered to Melanie. The secret probing of Kate's hands grew more hurried and Melanie felt her body begin to pulsate with maddening intensity.
Kate twisted, clutching Melanie feverishly, her breathing ragged and her rounded body quivering. "Oh, Melanie ... Melanie," she whimpered in tiny bleating moans that seemed to vibrate in her throat.
It seemed unreal to Melanie that she should be squeezing the incredibly round and spongy breasts with such artistry. It seemed unbelievable that she should be able , to make the pretty pink crests grow so rigid. "Am I doing it right?" she asked, curiously detached for the moment.
The squirming and gasping young school girl groaned her answer and tightened her embrace, shifting her body suddenly so that Melanie was guided to a more dominant position. "Now...." she panted desperately, imprisoning Melanie with her limbs as she began to convulse with new fervor.
A wild delirium enveloped Melanie and she followed Kate's guidance willingly, finding a new excitement in the variance of their lovemaking. In a matter of a few seconds, she was no longer able to control the wild undulations of her hips and her body began to quake with ecstatic tremors. A terrible and yet wonderful expectation mounted within her and she shuddered, uncertain as to what was about to happen but very much certain that it would happen. It was as though she was a spring that was being wound tighter and tighter until there was nothing left but for the spring to snap into a million tiny pieces.
Kate's eyes went wide and the cry that trickled up from her was more animal than human.
Melanie was well beyond the point of stopping. The convulsion rocked her to the core of her consciousness and she was only barely able to recognize the prolonged moan that filled the room as having come from her rather than from some stranger. She collapsed weakly, too shaken by the experience to think.
There was no telling how many minutes passed before she was capable of lucid thought. Melanie was aware of the passage of time but only remotely and indifferently. She could feel herself floating upwards to the surface of reality in gentle spirals and she knew that the trip was taking a long time. When finally she was able to draw a deep breath and open her eyes, she was struck by how strangely relaxed and sated her body felt.
Bathed in sweat, her legs still twitching with dying spasms of excitement, she turned her head on the rumpled sheet and looked at the naked girl lying beside her. Kate's mouth was open and her dark lashes fluttered each time she snored. She was hugging a pillow and her plump knees were drawn up to her chest in an infantile pose of serenity.
Melanie sighed and looked up at the ceiling, her mind struggling to assimilate and analyze the scope of her new knowledge. She'd never dreamed there could be such devastating and electrifying pleasure. It had come to her so quickly, so completely, so naturally, that there hadn't been time to fully appreciate it. Now, resting, still warm from the intimate exertions of their love act, she tried to recapture the deep thrill of the explosive release of a lifetime of pent-up desires.
She felt vaguely exhilarated, as if she'd stumbled upon a great treasure and, without knowing why, her thoughts immediately jumped to Ursula Povia. It had been wonderful with Kate but she sensed that it would have been even more wonderful and exciting with the knowing Ursula ... or even with the mysterious Olivia Lucas. Kate was an affectionate puppy while Ursula was a stalking tigress, and the velvety-voiced Olivia an alluring enigma.
Melanie blinked, embarrassed by her thoughts, realizing with dismay that she was already wondering what it might be like with other girls. She frowned, berating herself, and glanced again at Kate before rising from the bed.
Kate's bed felt cool against her naked flesh, cool, crisp and refreshing. Melanie stretched out and pulled the covers up to her chin. Even as she gave the pale outline of Kate's naked body a final glance, her eyelids began to droop and a long yawn tensed her languorous body. Then, with a small smile of satisfaction, she closed her eyes and permitted sleep to claim her.
It had been a long, strangely wonderful night and tomorrow was still another day.